A repeat felon with 31 prior arrests and three prior felony convictions was sentenced Tuesday in federal court on drug and gun charges, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Clint Walker, 35 of Columbus, GA was sentenced to 264 months for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and 120 months concurrent for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon by the Honorable Clay D. Land on December 18, 2018.

According to the plea agreement, Mr. Walker was stopped by the Columbus Police Department on December 19, 2017 for not wearing a seat belt. The vehicle Mr. Walker was driving also did not have proper tag lights. Mr. Walker exited the car, appeared agitated, and told the officer he had no license, was driving a relative’s car and was a convicted felon on probation. During an officer safety pat down, marijuana was found on Mr. Walker and he was placed under arrest. Inside the vehicle, 111 grams of 77% pure methamphetamine was found, along with a scale, baggies and small quantities of other drugs. Wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console was a Star 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The entire incident was captured by the officer’s body camera.

Mr. Walker has been convicted of the following felony crimes, all in Muscogee County (GA) Superior Court:

1. On or about 10/6/05, Robbery by Force

2. On or about 3/15/11, Possession of a Sawed Off Shotgun, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

3. On or about 7/18/14, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Xanax with Intent to Distribute

“A career criminal with a violent history will spend the next two decades behind bars, no longer causing havoc and misery for Muscogee County citizens” said Charles Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Violent, repeat offenders are not welcome in our communities, and keeping them off our streets will continue to be a primary focus of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Thank you to the good work of the Columbus Police Department and our law enforcement partners for helping in this case.”

Mr. Walker’s case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.

Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.